escaping fates
by the-man
Summary: Stephen heartreaver- a paladin escapes his execution but runs into more dire problems later, chapter 7 uploaded. My first fic ever so R&R but go easy on me...
1. turning your back to death

**Escaping fates****.**

chapter 1: Turning your back to death.

* * *

"Bring forth the prisoner!" the shout was heard throughout the small prison camp.

And stephen felt like he is being dragged face down on rocky floor, mind still daze from a night of no sleep and the drinking of smuggled alcohol drew mists before his eyes.

It took a few minutes for him to start seeing clearly and getting used to the light.

He estimated it was about noon for the sun was shining high up in the sky and now he could see what awaits… in front of him was a platform and a slab of rock next to it leaning on it was an intimidating looking axe, in front of the stage was a crowd came from the near by town to witness what was going on… an execution.

Stephen was force by a guard to his knees in front of the slab of stone face down.

"Stephn heartreaver you are hereby excused of the following crimes: betrayal and the murder of the king's own son prince lonard the third!" the prison commander started the 'show'. "And your sentence- execution! How do you plead to these crimes?" The commander looked at stephen and the crowd grew silent and for some time stephen did not speak.

The mood was tense the atmosphere heavy and at last like a knife stephen's words cut through the air.

"guilty, I am a paladin I cannot lie. But I deem the sentence unjust!" stephen said his piece and grew silent once more and the crowed grew restless.

"Explain yourself!" Ordered the prison camp.

"I indeed killed the prince but what the king doesn't know that his son and heir fell into dark ways and dark magic and so his heart grew equally dark… he was a dark paladin! He attacked me and killed my love, then he challenged me to a duel to the death, by the law of my god and order I could not refused for it is written that if a paladin of the god of life and healing magic- 'Tahoor' is challenged by a dark one he must accept!" stephen launched into the explanation.

As he spoke the crowd was deeply moved and some cried for his innocence but the most still called for an execution.

Slowly the prison commander approached stephen and kneeled next to him-

"I believe you paladin but an order is an order, you did what you had to do and so am I!" He said to stephen quietly, but he did not notice that stephen managed to steel the commander's knife.

* * *

"This is so unfair!" cried out one of the commoners witnessing the event to his friend.

"Yeah, do you think we should help him escape?" his friend said with agreement.

"You crazy or something? You'll get us hanged talking like that!" his friend replied with shock.

As they spoke and argued a tall broad man drew near stephen the man's face was covered and only his eyes could be seen- the executioner.

Raising and inspecting the axe the man prepared for the swing that would end the once proud paladin.

Anxiety grew in the crowd and various shouts were heard, some for stephen's death and some for his life, the moment drew near.

"any last words paladin?" the man asked in a mused tone.

Stephen made no reply beside an understandable mumbling.

When stephen stopped mumbling the executioner spoke again.

"A prayer of forgiveness?" the man asked with a sarcastic tone.

"No, a prayer of good fortune…" stephen replied and immediately made his move.

While he prayed his cut the ropes binding his hands and feet and now that he was finished he launched himself into an attack.

With the speed and the grace of an cat he stabbed the executioner at the throat, a quick painless death, and he turned to look at the guards.

Ten of them gathered below the platform on which he stood, it was a hopeless battle- he had a small knife they had long swords, he was wearing a worn out tunic they well made splint mail, But he had nothing to lose.

Then he thought- "If I can get an armor and my horse I can escape! Now where did they put my armor? Nevermind there has to be one at the barracks!".

With that decision he jumped off the platform and waited to see an opening he can take, he saw one and took it…

From the corner of his eye he caught the vision of a guard taking a shot at him, at the speed of a tiger he stuck his knife at the guard's throat killing him, the guards weren't very well trained, and stephen quickly striped the dead guard of his weapon.

Now he was armed with a long sword, now he was ready, he ran towards the barracks.

* * *

the crowd was bewildered, on one hand stephen was a local hero, every body loved him, he helped every body in town in at least one way. He was always polite and he was the basic paladin from a children's story- noble kind and impressive looking. When he spoke the people were always moved no one stayed indifferent, when he fought the sight lifted the heats of men and women.

On the other hand they came to see an execution and the liked the king and his law.

"Where is he now?" a commoner asked her friend.

"Oh my god, he went for the barrack. There are always at least ten soldiers there!!" her friend replied peeking above the masses.

"I hope he wins…" they both said quietly.

As they spoke a loud noise was heard from within the barracks and a shout.

"What happened?", "Was that him?", "Is he dead yet?" were the questions on the scene.

Then a loud noise was heard as if someone flung a boulder at the door soon a guard was seen thrown clear out the window lading hard.

Another boom was heard from the barrack door only this time it gave way and opened half broken.

Behind the door the crowd could see stephen clad in chain mail armor. Though he was covered it was possible to see the blood from a new injury on stephen's shoulder.

In front of him stood ten guards armed with spears, every now and then thrusting it forwards in order to keep him at bay.

Stephen prepared himself for another fight, then he heard the sound of clapping…

"well done young paladin…" the voice of the local magistrate.

"that was a good show!" the magistrate kept talking while he clapped.

"but now it must end!" the magistrate shouted drawing his sword from its sheath. The magistrate was well armed, a bastard sword which he held with both hands and he was clad with an armor which was familiar, it was his!

The fight begun the crowd now openly cheering stephen was steering wildly cursing the magistrate and his guards.

Stephen was a skilled sword fighter trained from the age of ten but obviously so was the magistrate stephen couldn't land one hit one him and found him self as the constant defender.

At last the magistrate saw a weakness- stephen's shoulder, he went for it. With the hilt of his sword he hit stephen's shoulder as hard as he could sending violent waves of pain through stephen's body sending him to his knees.

The magistrate smiled getting ready for the final blow, he attempted an attack and with his final drop of strength stephen managed to block. He did half a job- the sword did not cut his throat as the magistrate attempted but stephen now was weaponless his sword dropped to the ground like a bird who was shot with an arrow.

"I suggest you pray now paladin for it is said that he who prays before death reaches the heavens faster…" the magistrate then launched into a long self-righteous speech which stephen did not listen to, he had to heal himself, he concentrated on that. At last he finished the healing process and found that the magistrate was still talking and that his shoulder wasn't completely healed, but it was enough, but he still did not have a weapon, and the he remembered- the knife!

* * *

"and so you see outlaw, by killing you I shall not only be helping the king I will be helping the world!!" the magistrate finally finished his long speech that no one listened to and was ready to kill.

" Any last words paladin?" the magistrate looked at stephen with disgust.

"Yes, I do have last word but they will not be reveled today!" stephen shouted as he got to his feet and quickly and skillful slashed at the magistrate's hand causing him to drop his sword, then stephen spun around his foe holding him in a choke hold and the knife at his throat.

"Good show lad!! The guard's knife, I didn't see that one coming!" the magistrate declared.

"now boy let me go…" the magistrate tried to reason with stephen.

"Only if I have your word that you'll let me go!" stephen replied fiercely.

"Oh, I have an idea! Lets negotiate, you'll let me go and I don't kill your friend!" the magistrate said in a devilish tone and gave a signal to one of the guards who just ran of.

"They say that a paladin's best friend is his horse, don't they?" the magistrate began.

When he finished talking the guard returned with several others riding and restraining a horse.

"shadowmane…" stephen let out quietly.

"So that's its name! A good looking beast… such a waste" the magistrate said. Shadowmane was a well treated horse both strong and noble. Its coat pure white as the rest of its body except his mane which was completely black thus the name shadowmane.

"chose quickly, I die the horse dies, I live I'll make sure you die quickly! Now choose!!" the magistrate ordered.

Once again the atmosphere heavy and the mood tense at last stephen spoke.

"Its time for you to pray…" he slashed at the magistrate's throat watching life seep away through it, looking up he saw his steed, a truly magnificent beast, he sped towards it.

The guards were too slow to react and soon stephen was on his horse and on his way to the gates but first the magistrate's or more truly HIS armor!

Riding towards the gate he caught the head of the magistrate and dragged him with him, the magistrate was still alive and he struggled, not much but he did. The crowd who was quiet the entire scene now rushed to open the gates of the small prison camp cheering for their hero.

He did it! He escaped and now he had time to completely heal his wounds. But he was tired and sore he will do that tomorrow. He put his armor on and as he did so he remembered how he got it. It was about a week ago in the temple of tahoor where he was a respected paladin, his love Dalana, a priestess there gave the armor to him. It was a light plate mail armor- much lighter in weight then it should have been probably some type of magic, the armor was blue and white , Dalana's favorite colors, and she said it holds great magic but did not have time to tell him what for then she was killed by the prince. Stephen now was tired and he needed sleep, he bandaged his shoulder and slept a rough sleep for he know that now he was an outlaw for the rest of his life and he would be sought after and he must keep in a low profile, maybe one of the temples of his god tahoor would give him shelter and so he must go to the city of Jonwera to seek refuge there in the great temple.


	2. tale be told

**Escaping fates:**

Disclaimer:I forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.

Chapter 2: 

* * *

Like a bad brew awareness seeped right into stephen's soul, it was just dawn and his shoulder still ached with the memory of the previous day, but a new day was upon him and a new beginning.

Stephen got ready to move out he had many miles to ride so he needed an early start, mounting his horse he made sure he forgot nothing and he sped of.

The morning shone with a red light and the sun could barely be seen behind the hills but its light reflected of the vast snow covered peeks of the eastern mountains. Stephen made his way through the western forests of Daranoor.

The forest was thick so pursuit was almost impossible through it, so stephen could relax and take an easy pace.

Though the sun was at its full vigor in side the forest it did not penetrate and the place was dark.

As he rode he thought about what happened to him and what he'll do next, the city of onwera is heavily enforced and sneaking in would be difficult. 

And so he rode for an hour filled with nothing but worry when he sensed a great evil in the woods, he heard a scream of a woman coming north from him, he urge shadowmane into a much faster pace though in such a dense forest it could be dangerous. Quickly he reached a clearing, it was full of death.

What was a few minutes ago a full caravan was now ashes a scattered body parts, signs of heavy fires lay all over the clearing and on the bodies, but it happened just a few minutes ago- it had to had been a wizard that attacked them.

Stephen searched the clearing for clues, he found that the caravan was transporting goods for some temple of what god he could not tell, he saw the bodies of a dozen priestesses and was shocked of the brutality the struck them. They reminded him of Dalana who was also murdered in this fashion, an unworthy fashion.

Movement caught stephen's eye, he drew the long sword he took yesterday and slowly approched. It was behind one of the near boulders, a perfect place to hide form the untrained eye.

Stephen stopped near the boulder ready to pounce at whatever it was when he heard a voice coming from behind the boulder.

" Their all dead even the horses are dead… good thing though that I ain't but… my sweet little Bluna! Where did he take her?!" the voice kept on ranting like that for a while when stephen decided it is safe. He put the sword back into place and moved forward.

Behind the big rock was a dark skinned man sitting with his knees up to his chest ranting about various things. The man looked harmless enough and he did not notice stephen, the man was obviously in shock. The man was not very broad but not too skinny he had a leather armor of some fashion and it was possible to see his armed with a short sword.

"Are you done talking to yourself? Cause if your not I can just go and leave you to it!" stephen roused the man from his senseless rabble.

"Wha…wha.. what! Oh, no sir please stay! I did not see you there my good sir! I… I… I was assessing my situation, yeah that is what I was doing!" the man launched of into endless babble that stephen did not understand, for the man's voice was extremely high pitched and he talked really fast.

"Your ranting again…" Stephen stated.

"Sorry man." The man said a took a pause and then continued.

"My name is Domo je'ar. I am a rouge and I was a… friend of one of the priestesses on this caravan. Now that I introduced myself its your turn." Domo said with now a clear voice.

"I am Stephen heartreaver. A travailing paladin of the god Tahoor." Stephen introduced himself in modesty.

"heartreaver… no never heard of you sir!" domo stated looking at the well armed figure, reminding stephen that now he was a wanted man and that he had to be careful.

"Tell me what happened here, if you don't mind." Stephen requested.

"Well the caravan leader was in a hurry to onwera so we cut through the forest, and just here we were attacked by a powerful mage! It was a brutal fight and the mage summoned monsters to do his dirty worked though he seemed to enjoy hurling fireballs at us. Out of reflex I hid myself behind that boulder. When I went back out they were all dead even the horses all dead!! Except Baluna, she was the highest ranking priestess in the caravan, and my woman. Her he took, the wizard took her! He rode a flying steed! It was all black with hooves of flames and eyes all red and… and he just flew away!" domo told the tale at an amazing speed that astonished stephen, though what was more astonishing was that he managed to understand what his new dark skinned friend said!

"A nightmare! The wizard rode a nightmare! Those are horse like monsters from the lower planes!" stephen was amazed at what he heard.

"If that wizard rode one of those he must be a very powerful mage…" stephen continued.

"I will help you find your woman, but you have to do something for me… I need to get into onwera unseen, and you said you're a rouge. Can you help me?" Stephen let out after a long pause.

"Sure! I can do that! I got a lot of friends in onwera! Infact I just thought of a plan to get us both there, it's a good place to find some info about the wizard ain't it oh…" like before, Domo launch into endless rabble of his newly devised plan, talking as fast as eagle flight with his high pitched voice, stephen gave up on listening and trying to figure out what Domo was saying and was just looking to his north… his destination… 


	3. An 'easy' win

Escaping fates: disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.  
  
Chapter 3: An "easy" win.  
  
Stephen and his new companion walked up northwards for the city of onwera, the journey took for two hours and through that period of time Domo was talking non stop. Though annoyed Stephen find the companionship of his new friend comforting. "There she be!" Domo suddenly told Stephen pointing forward towards a group of large buildings in the distance. Onwera was the biggest city in the north, and it was truly magnificent, a beautiful view, the sun setting in the mountains behind the great city, the castle of the lord of the city tall and proud, and at last stephen saw what he was looking for- the temple of the mighty Tahoor. "It will be easy getting in unseen like you need my friend! Its an easy win." Domo said, pleased with himself and as he spoke he took a group of rags from his bag. "wear these." Domo instructed as he wore his. "Don't worry just put these on and follow my lead. Oh and you'll have to leave the horse." Domo explained. "that way they'll take us immediately to the temple!" Domo continued seen his companion's grim face. "I'll wear the rags but I'm not leaving shadowmane behind!" Stephen stated making sure his friend understood. "Ok but it will make things harder." Domo agreed and with that the argument ended and they were on their way.  
  
"Ok now just follow my lead." Domo whispered as they approached the city gate, it was dark now and more guards stood by the gate then in morning. Both Stephen and Domo were on shadowmane now looking as weak and as pitiful as they could. "Hold there travelers!" one of the guards ordered them. "Let me do the talking." Domo whispered in stephen's ear. "Who are you and what is your business in town?" the guard asked the two. * cough * "We are sick travelers from afar, we come to the temple of tahoor for we heard thee is a cure there." Domo lied to the guard. "why didn't you go to the temple in your settlement?" the guard began to question. "cause." Domo started but was cut of by the guard. "No I want him to tell me." The guard ordered pointing at stephen. At first stephen did not answer and the guard was obviously already annoyed so Domo took charge. "He can't answer you. his.his. his tongue was cut of, to. to. to hold of the infection. yeah. real disgusting sight indeed my friend." Domo made up the weird story apparently on the spot for he stammered, the guard caught up to it. "Really? I want to see it." the guard tried to expose them. "Hey guys come look at a guy with no tongue!!" he call a group of three more guards. Stephen began to open his mouth because he didn't know what else to do. "Don't bother I know who you are not sick and he still got his tongue! Your horse gave you away, no ill person would ride such a well tended horse!" the guard said to them extremely proud of himself. "Hey wait a minute, I know you! Your stephen heartreaver! You're a wanted man! I'll get a good reward for your head!" One of the other guards yelled out a took out a sword. "I told you we shouldn't take the horse you stubborn rockheaded paladin!" Domo shouted at stephen not taking notice in the now battle-ready guards. "Domo I don't think this the time for this." Stephen let out between his teeth. "Go with it."Domo told him quietly. "Don't try that either I know that trick." The senior guard from before told them as he pulled the of the horse. The guards dismounted stephen and throw him to the ground, Domo was dismounted peacefully. "Come on paladin, aren't you going to fight?" The guards teased, as they did so they did not see stephen draw his blade from its sheath. "Ha! Is this the great heartreaver? The mighty paladin? No more than a ragged dirty wimp!" The guards declared to all who listened. "You'll better take that back." Stephen said beneath his breath. "Don't you mean- 'You'll live to regret that!', that sounds much better!" the guard continued to tease. "But you won't live for that long!" stephen shouted as he leapt at the completely surprised guard, killing him instantly. "wow, shit. You shouldn't have done that man!" Domo was shouting as stephen ran along side with him with a swarm of the city guards running behind them. They got to an ally who was faced the city's wall, spear came down like rain upon them, but none hit. "I can't be caught Domo, isn't there anything you can do?" Stephen asked his friend with fright. " Well I can sell my self but you." Domo trailed of as he talked. "What did you do any way? Cause they really want to get you, usually if the guard at the gate doesn't get you they let you go." Domo for the first time since stephen met him gave a serious face. " I killed the prince." stepen said softly as he got up started to run again hearing the guards approach. Domo fell silent for a while and did not move, he was safe there, the guards did not want him and he was skillful at hiding, he just sat there and thought to himself. * * *  
  
Not far away Stephen was surrounded by seven guards, he could not escape he would have to fight. He was kept at bay by the guards and could not approach any in order to attack, they seemed to be waiting for someone. "Don't move the king ordered you captured alive." a deep voice was heard as if stephen heard it from his own heart, but that voice was evil yet familiar. "And so the fly falls to the spiders web once more." the voice said and a smirking face was seen in the darkness, the voice now was clearer, it was as if a man spoke thought needles within his throat. "Don't you know who I am yet? Well I'm not surprised, my voice changed a bit since you gave me ANOTHER BRITHING HOLE YOU BASTARD!!" now stephen knew for sure, it was the prison camp magistrate. "Didn't I kill you." Stephen said trying to irritate the magistrate making him slip. "No, you didn't. Its amazing what necromancers can achieve if they put their minds into it, isn't it?" The magistrate kept musing himself smirking like a snake. "Tonight we do battle." The magistrate explained to stephen. "and only one of us shall walk away, and that will be me!" Stephen completed the sentence, both of them ready for battle. The hour was near midnight and all were weary and in the moonlight at the city square the tow were ready to begin to fight what was sure to be a hard long fight, and in his ally Domo came back to reality, ready to assist his friend he ran unseen to the city square. 


	4. ending a fued

**Escaping fates:**

disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.

Chapter 4: Ending the feud.

The night seemed to grow colder and it stung stephen's skin yet it seemed that his foe did not notice. Both fighters looked at each others eyes, yet stephen's eye wondered to his foe's arms and armor, the magistrate wore a long cloak so stephen did not see what armor was he using, as for weapons- he had that covered as well, with both his hands the magistrate held a mighty long sword, the sword was both beautiful and intimidating. The hilt of the sword was shaped as a serpent's tail and the blade as the rest of the snake, the crosspiece was shaped as a dagger going through the snake's body.

"Your sword suits you magistrate, a serpent for the serpent. Yet it also tells your future, death." Stephen began before the fight began.

" Don't be too confident, last time luck prevailed you yet I came back, this time luck might turn on you…" The magistrate responded quickly with a hissing voice with a snake like smile the gave stephen the chills.

And with that the fight began swords clashing with endless attempts to swing at the opponent, stephen dodged most of the wild flailing sword swings the magistrate delivered, obviously the magistrate was not calm during the fight, stephen saw an opening, always be calm during a fight, that was the first rule of sword fighting.

Stephen aimed at the head but the magistrate was quick to respond, he tried to move away, yet stephen's blade pierced the magistrate's chest sending a black ooze every where,

The magistrate fell.

Stephen turned at the guards now awaiting a fight.

"Leaving so soon?" a angry hiss came from behind him, he turned back and saw the magistrate standing as if nothing happened!

"I… I… I pierced your heart no one can survive that…" stephen was amazed, he almost dropped his sword.

" Told you I was the one to walk out of this fight…" the magistrate whispered and came to attack stephen who was still shocked and did not even defend himself. The sword entered his side sending stephen to his knees.

" This is it my noble friend…" the magistrate said to stephen smirking like a lizard.

" Not yet!" Stephen protested and rose to his feet attempting to punch his enemy, but he was dazed from pain and the loss of blood, he missed his mark and fell lying on his side.

" Need glasses?" The magistrate mocked as he kicked stephen in the gut.

For some time stephen lay there enduring the magistrate's kicks, he did not even attempt to stand he thought it was over, he's lost. He can't even hurt that thing now. 

"his dead! Wait that's it his dead yet he walks that makes him an undead!" stephen thought to himself.

" I'll try to banish him!" stephen kept reasoning.

The magistrate stopped kicking. "Did you say something?" the magistrate inquired.

"Yes that this fight is over…" stephen answered now sounding like his old self again, proud and confident.

"Did I hit your head too hard? Can't you see? I've already won!" The magistrate yelled at stephen rising his arms for applause, but he got nothing.

For the surprise of the magistrate stephen said nothing yet his lips moved as if in a prayer.

"What are you doing boy?" The magistrate asked with now a nervous voice, yet stephen did not respond, his head was bowed down and he still mumbled, the magistrate did not understand what was going on until it was too late, stephen finally raised his head and now with a clear loud commanding voice he yelled at the magistrate.

"By the power of tahoor the god of life I command you foul being to be banished away from the realm of the living back to the abyss from which you were spawned!" stephen commanded and as he did a bright blue aura was visible around him, the magistrate began to come with smoke, yelling in panic the names of dark god to his help he came to his knees and at last the body was once again lifeless, his soul at the endless abyss of evil, he was dead forever.

The guards were shocked, they dared not chalanged stephen now, they were afraid.

"Hey you down here…" a low voice was heard beneath stephen's feet and as he looked down he saw a pair of eye looking through a sewer opening.

"Come on the guards won't come in here!" the voice encouraged stephen to enter, he had nothing to lose he went in before the guards regained their wits.

Inside the sewer he only saw a shady figure infront of him, whoever it was he was leading stephen somewhere and stephen had to follow. The figure too short to be a human or an elf and walked too silently to be a dwarf, niether a halfling or a gnome. With out a word the two walked for a long while and stephen began to worry but at last they came to a halt.

They were in a big hall, as big as the town square and in the room sitting on a comftarble looking sofa Domo sat grinning from ear to ear.

" So how was the fight?" Somo broke of the heavy silence with a chearful voice.

" What is this place? who is this?" Stephen began to ask pointing at the short person next to him.

" This is tom swiftdagger. An old friend of mine and one of the finest rouges in all of onwera!" Domo replied with a respectful smile at tom who still stood silent.

" Glad to meet you, I am stephen heartreaver and I thank you for your assistance." Stephen approched the halfling with a polite smile.

" No prob! Glad to help any friend of Domo is a friend of mine!" Finally tom spoke, he sounded very chearfull for a rouge but that's how halflings are.

" I need you to get me to the temple of tahoor, And do you know where did the guards took my horse to?" Stephen asked his new friend as he poured three cups of some smelly brew.

" Your horse was taken fortunatly for you to the temple's stables, and yes I can get you there, and Domo only there I dare give you the information of the wizard you speek of, for he knows I know where he lives and he is watching me. Only in the temple I am shielded from his eyes of black magic. It will be hard to bring a human that is known for all and does not kno the arts of hiding." Tom explaind what he had to to his friends his plan.

They had to disguise themselves as temple visitors, well more correctly two of them did one of the rouges will have to delay the guards, it was decided that tom will do that and Domo will help Stephen with tricking the temple guards. They decided to start the operation the next night, the guards would forget all about th event by then.

That night only tom slept, Domo was busy going over the plan. Stephen was haunted by nightmares of his past and visons of his beloved dalana and the fallen prince who smote her down and started all these problems, and endless visions of the magistrate and he remembered the face of the walking corpse his heart filled with nothing but revenge, the fuel the kept the magistrate going. Stephen's only hope was getting to the temple everything will be better after that… And with that he fell asleep.


	5. A dark candle

**Escaping fates:**

disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.

Chapter 5: A dark candle.

Light came into Stephen's eye and smells of some kind of fried food. The hall in which he slept was now lighted and he could see what it was, an underground courtyard, probably of an older city. There was a large pillar of stone every few feet in away that created a stright line leading to a large stage with a chair behind it in the far end of the room. People were judged here and looking at a large slab of stone with blood signs on it obviously from a distant past people were executed here as well. Stephen smiled at the irony, he escaped his execution and guards of the law into a court and an execution room.

" Breakfast!" tom's voice was heard throughout the hall and he approched stephen and Domo with two plates filled with some kind meat that he fried.

" Don't worry it's healthy." Tom said when he saw his friend's doubting faces. Stephen and Domo took the strange food and ate it, Stephen ate faster then he intended to, he forgot that he hadn't ate for two days now and he was starving, embarrassed he began to talk.

" How did you find this place?" Stephen found a good subject for a conversation.

" Oh, I ran into it while escaping some guy who I stole from. And I thought it could make a great hideout." Tom explained as he tooka mouthfull of the strange smelling meat.

" Is there any one else here beside you?" Stephen continued to inquire.

" Well there are those lizard folk down here but its easy to avoid them, they have very poor hearing so I just hide. Hey now that your finished its safe to tell you what that was, it was lizard folk meat." Tom explaided to his companions, those two heard of what they just ate and began to wipe their tounges and spit like a waterfall.

" No no no, its meat they sell me! Not their own flesh!" Tom quickly explaind what he ment.

And so the three passed the hours of the day going over the plan and talking.

* * *

And so the hours passed and evning came and the three began to move towards their objective.

As they reached below the temples gate tom stopped the small group.

" This is where we split up, you wait for another ten minutes and then go up, and don't get into trouble." Tom said his goodbyes to the two and sped onwards into the shadows.

" Well… How did you sleep?" Domo said after a while obviously bored with the waiting.

" Sh, did you hear that?" Stephen asked with his hand next to his ear as if trying to listen.

As hard as they tried both stephen and Domo could hear nothing, though something caught Domo's eye.

"Look! Over there!" Domo shouted and pointed at a dark corner, at first stephen saw nothing but slowly a shadowy figure was visible in front of him.

" Come out where I can see you. I will not harm you." Stephen began to try to talk with whoever it was but as soon as he finished his sentence the figure lept at him.

" Die human scum!" The creature yelled with mad fury as it lept at the surprise paladin, luckly for him he was so spooked by the savage shout that he fell causing the attacker to miss.

The creature was now visible to all, it was a lizardman, the tall reptilian beast held a short sword and a small shield and it glared at the two companions with blood thirsty eyes.

It attacked again only this time stephen was ready, he dodged the sword and tried to hit the beast's chest- he failed for the lizardman blocked the shot with its shield and now he tried to bite stephen, this time he hit his mark.

Teeth rending flesh sunk into stephen's arm, undistracted by the pain stephen hit the beast with his blade cutting its throat leaving it lifeless.

Stephen soon regained himself and looked at the corpse seeing the small shield he picked it up and put it on his arm thinking he could use a shield, now he took a look at his friend, Domo sat knees to his chest a few feet from the lizardman corpse, he was shaking.

" Are you alright? Were you hurt?" Stephen asked his friend with a concerned tone trying to hide his suspicion.

" Why didn't you fight Domo?" Stephen grew angry remebering that Domo didn't help with the guards either.

" I… I… I can't fight man! I took an oath that I will never kill…" Domo snapped at stephen obviously the subject was painful to him and he did not wish to discuss it, Stephen had to change the subject quick for it grew tence and uncomfortable.

" I think its time to start…" Stephen announced pointing at the way upwards to the outside.

Domo remained silent and just nodded in agreement, the two of them began climbing, Domo was first and stephen after him.

After making sure that no one was watching the two climbed out of the tunnel to the surface and quickly ran to a dark cornner remaining unseen. Gaining access to the temple was easy, tom did a good job keeping the guards away so Stephen and Domo got in with ease, now it was stephen's turn to lead the way, he was in home turf now, safety, a holy temple.

Stephen walked to the high priest's room accompanied by Domo, he knew a lot of the people in the temple and he past by many of them, he nodded and gestured but his gestures were ignored and he was beginning to feel like something was of.

When he reached the high priest's room he paused and prepared himself to be scolded, he entered.

The room was big and well decorated symbols of the god tahoor were every where and the floor was carpeted now, the priest allways wanted to carpet his room and now he finally did, that cheered stephen a bit. Syephen looked at one of the symbols on the wall and felt the awe it aroused, the symbol was of a golden blade standing behinde head of a bird that was called a phoenix its eye glowing on a bright blue light, face glaring back at stephen reminding him who it is he serves. Stephen remembered his training when he first saw the symbol of his true god, he swore that some day he will see a real phoenix, but he never did. The high preist sat next to his desk busy withsome paperwork when stephen entered and at first he ignored the paladin, but when he saw his dark skinned friend he got up and approched the two. The priest was old and had no hair left at all but he was tall and very wize, Stephen allways thought of him like a father.

" What do you seek here paladin? Redemption? Its too late for that." The priest began to scold stephen with his usual piercing eyes.

" What? I only came here seeking your guidness or maybe sanctuary!" Stephen said with a harsh voice.

" You know I can't do that! I know you did what you had to do but… today… you must see… Its all polotics today, I need the support of the king…" The high priest mummbled out the words, it was obvious that he wanted to help but couldn't. The priest stopped talking and stiffend, he moved away from the paladin and spoke again more seriously.

" I can't help you Heartreaver so you better leave before I call the guards. But since you served our lord for so long so well I will not expel you from the order but you will receive no assistence from any of us, now get out!" The priest spoke and in his voice was not anger nor hate but sadness, Stephen was the priest's favorite paladin and now he had to shun him.

* * *

after that conversation stephen dragged himself out of the temple, shocked that the order that he was in, an ordered he helped so many times in the past, did not come to his rescue, he had nowhere to go now.

He walked away from the temple ignoring Domo's repeating remarks about the guards, he walked as a zombie not seeing where he went. His world crummbled before his eye, his friends and the one he deemed his second father have abandoned him.

After a while he stopped, looking back at the temple that once was the center of stephen's universe, like a dark candle it stood a point of light grown dark and cold. The temple that once stood for justice befell to corruption.


	6. The eyes of emptiness

**Escaping fates:**

disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.

Chapter six: The eyes of emptiness.

Stephen kept walking and Domo at his side, none of them cared if the guards would see them now. Stephen dragged himself along the road, filled with despare and greef he marched like a zombie with no purpose.

Like that they walked for an hour and at last they reached the city's gates, the guards were gone and the gate was open, yet that didn't seem to reach ste[hen's mind and he just kept walking until the very gate where he stopped and looked at his friend.

" I forgot! We were supposed to wait for tom!" Stephen said trying to sound casual.

" god damm it! Your right!" Domo shouted out loud and the whole city seemed to have heard them, including the guards, and now a small group of them approched the two commpanions.

" Its him!! Get him!" one of the guards yelled as he approched the two and the others ran towards them swords at hand.

Stephen prepared to fight yet out of nowhere came the sound of orse steps and a wild battlecry echoed in the area.

" Get rammed or get cut, the halfling is oming to town!!" Came the voice of Tom Swiftdagger as he rode a horse toward the group of guards knocking them to the ground.

Domo cheered for his old friend as Tom sped toward them apparently riding none other then shadowmane.

Tom was smiling obviously enjoying what was going on, he terrorised the guards and rode towards his friend, as he rode a loud whistle sound was heard and almost instantly it stopped, just like Tom Swiftdagger's smile, he fell from the horse revealing an arrow shot into his back and also revealing the archer who immidiatly escaped the scene.

Domo quickly ran to aid his friend who was on the ground one hand he grabbed a piece of paper and with the other he held a dagger.

" You'll… You'll… you'll be allright, don't worry…" Domo attempted to ease the halfling's suffering as he himself wept.

" Don't worry about me Domo. I'll be fine. But here take this." Tom said and shoved the piece of paper and the dagger into Domo's hand.

" It is information about the… The wizard you wee looking for… It's a map to the guild he was in, maybe they'll help you…" Tom said as he began to choke and he spat blood as he talked.

" The dagger was my father's, it the Swiftdagger family dagger, it holds great magic in it. If you find that wizrad you'll need it…" Tom managed to let out before he choked again and began to cough, his life force was soon extinguished

and so did the cheerful light behind he eyes, his eyes were cold now, empty. The eyes of emptiness…

Domo now was crying his lungs out, stephen had too take charge it was the chance of escape, he quickly throw Domo on the horse climb up himself and rode out of the city unpursuited.

* * *

They made it to the woods west of the city where they stopped to check what Tom gave them.

It was a map to the guild in the middle of nowhere to the east of the city of onwera. After they were finished with going over that they held a burialless funiral for Tom Swiftdagger, Stephen held a pryer for him and with that they were content.

They had far to travel to the guild and it was late they would have to camp here for the night, besides it didn't look like Domo would move another inch after what happened.

So they made camp and went to sleep with out another word though finding comfort in each other's presence.

Stephen was haunted tonight once again by nughtmares and the visions of To's death and aspecialy his empty eyes, it reminded him of the face of his beloved Dalana when she died in his arms but she was avenged Tom was not.

* * *

"What?!! You let him get away?!!" The voice of the head of onwera city guard was heard throughout the barracks as he yelled at and slapped his guards.

" Yes sir!" the guards shouted back at their commander like a chorus.

" You incompetent fool!" The commander kept on scolding his inferiors.

" But I must forgive you… its not your fault you are stupid… but I'll send someone else to hunt him down…" The commander added with a develish smile.

" Surely sir you don't mean… blackflame…" one of the younger guards asked almost afraid of the very name.

" Yes, I do mean him. He is the finest assasin that ever came out of my guarding platoon." The commander explained and as soon as he finished his sentence a dark robed man appeared behind him as if he came out of the very air which they breath.

" You called my name master?" Came a husky voice from the man, his face was covered by a hood giving the illusion the the man had no head.

" I need you to do something for me…"


	7. And yet another lost soul

**Escaping fates:**

disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.

Chapter seven: And yet another lost soul.

The night past away as if it did not wish to and the two desperate adverturers woke to a chil morning in the woods.

In the rush to escape last night Stephen did not really know where they were, he knew they were west of the city of onwera but where exactly he could not guess.

The morning was un natrualy cold and the two felt a certain tension in the forest as if something was attracting the tree's attention.

" Do you know where we are?" Stephen finally spoke wanting to make the silence go away.

" Yeah, we're in tobo's forest. One of the most dangerous forests in this part of the world." Domo replied as he started to make breakfast.

They ate quitly still alarmed of the forest, it seemed to watch them as if waiting to deliever a blow on to their heads.

As they finished their meal noises could be heard around them and they quickly took apon arms and searched for the source, they walked sevral hundred feet in the cold gloom forest until they heard the voices more clearly, it was a converation between a group of creatures and a young woman.

" Gold! Give usss your gold…" The tallest of the six creatures spoke with endless hissing noises.

" Never… you foul being." The woman replied, though stammering she sounded sure of her self. The woman was defenatly of half elven breed, she was tall and pointy eared and she was very thin, she wore a light leather armor and a blue cloak. Stephen found himself blushing as he looked at her, she was indeed very pretty, Stephen caught his tounge, he once again listened rather staring at the woman.

Stephen saw that he had stopped following the argument and apperantly a fight already began, the woman was a wizardess or a sorsceress for she cast sevral spells but the monsters took the spells and just kept on coming, she was out numbered.

Stephen without thinking got up and came to her aid, sword in hand he charged at on of the creatures and took it by surprise and stabbed it in the gut killing it instantly.

The woman was also take be surprise and put down her guard, one of the creatures took the opportunity and delivered a painful blow to he shoulder as she fell down she killed the creature with a knife of some sort.

Stephen hit one of the creatures with the shield he found on the lizard man in onwera another he sliced in half the last ran away.

" Who are you?" The woman asked as she treated her wound.

" That's it? No thanks?" Stephen replied with a smile though seeing the woman's face he stiffened and approched her.

" I am… My name does not matter right now. Do you need any help?" Remembering he is a wanted man he changed the subject and did not volunteer any information.

" I'll be fine its just a scartch, but it could have been worse if you didn't show up. My name is nara greenstaff. And again who are you?" Nara gave Stephen a cold look as if trying to penetrate his mind.

" I am stephen that is all you need, I am a paladin of tahoor. And what are you I see you use magic." Stephen said being cautious with his words.

" I am a sorceress. Does that satisfy you?" nara seemed unwilling to say what type of advanturer she was.

Stephen did not trust her and obviously she didn't trust him but for some reason he couldn't walk away from her. As they gave each other suspicious glares Domo walked in to the clearing.

" Get a room you two" He began to mock the two but fell silent as the two shifted their glares at him.

" Yo listen up girl! I am Domo and this is stephen we are traveling to a mage guild, you are a mage maybe you can help us, and besides you'll be safer travelling with us…" Domo ignored the angry stares talked to the young sorceress.

" I can handle myself thank you!" Nara gave Domo a cold stare.

" But I will admit that it will be useful to travel with a warrior. So I shall travel with you, why are you going there?" Nara now seemed more relaxed and she even smiled a little as she thought of something.

" We want to ask the guild of information about one of their members. That is all." Stephen also relaxed and explaind briefly what happened to Domo and what happened in Onwera.

" I am sorry of your loss Domo. And I decided to help you find that wizard. Such injustice should not go unheeded." Nara finally spoke after hearing the two's tale though she was not told of stephen's exploits. The three talked for a long while and the day was passing darkness crept over the forest making it even gloomer and the sounds of the forest were everywhere, the howling of wolves and the growling of bears and also the sounds of other creatures.

And there in the darkness they sat three of them, the two companions and yet another lost soul…

No one knew anything about her and she wasn't so happy to volunteer any information. The three sat and were about to sleep as they heard a noise, none of them was wearing any armor and their weapons down. Stephen was the only one brave enough to check what made the noise, he did not even bother to put on his armor he just leapt to the bushs pouncing at the unknown being in it, violant sound of fighting were heard and Domo and Nara did not know what was happening in the end the fighting stopped and a figure rose in the darkness.

" Did you get it?" Nara asked in an almost concerned voice, and yet Stephen was not the one responding, it was a dark voice, as if a man was talking through a sliced throat the voice was husky and it sounded like someone cunning, very cunning. The moon now shone on the dark figure, it was a tall man and he held Stephen on his knees holding a dagger to his throat. The man seemed to have no head though Domo's sharp eye cought the gleem in the dark man's eye, the gleem of greed.

" Any of you move I kill your friend, I only want the paladin I will let the rest of you go…" The dark man said and began to move backwards.

In the deep of the night the moon shone on the two as they had to make a choice they could help their friend and risk getting him or themselves killed or they could let the man take him, he said he would let them go but can he be trusted?

The man kept moving and time was running out they would have to make a decision quick…


	8. The circle of life and death

Escaping fates: disclaimer forgot to put this on the first chapter but here it is: the characters the plot and the places are mine, the spell names, creatures and classes and of course d&d rules are not mine.  
  
Chapter eight: The circle of life and death  
  
The night grew colder and darker, and under the moonlight stood four dark figures, unmoving glaring and waiting. In Nara's eyes not only weariness grew but fear as well, and so in Domo's eyes and heart. " Do you really think you can get away? If you kill him we will kill you." Nara spoke after a long silence, her voice clear cut through the nights air. " I bet I can kill the two of you as well." The tall man said though it seemed as if he was talking to himself. Nara kept on provoking the man though none of them made in move, but Domo did for the dark man did not notice that Domo took to the shadows, un seen and unheard he prepared to help his captured comrade, he leapt from behind the dark man though his attack was in vain for the man merely reached his arm toward Domo and caught his throat holding him in the air with one hand the other secured Stephen on the ground. " Men. Can't do nothing right." Nara let out quietly. " All right, take him I don't even know him that well." Nara started to speak after a long pause. " He's like a lost duck that when I attack I don't care for him that much." Nara said to the tall man, Stephen felt betrayed once more until he noticed that certain words were emphasized and then he quickly understood. " Really? Well I'm impressed with your common sence little girl." The rugged voice with a cynical tone. " Now!!" A loud scream was heard as the man turned and began to leave dragging Stephen with him, the man was taken by surprise and the moment Stephen throw himself to the floor Nara cast a spell and an arrow of flame was launched through the air and hit the dark man's chest. As fire began to dig its way into him he screamed with horror promising his killers horrible death and he fell behind a bush. The three were scared, shaken up they approched the bush together this time only to find nothing. " But. but. this is where he fell, I cast one of my most powerful spells!" Nara said obviously shocked to see no body. " I guess he survived." Domo began to say but stopped and crouched to the ground looking at something. " Look at this! What do you make of it?" Domo showed the two others what he found, a small card and on it a symbol of a blade being burned with a flame as black as a shadow dragon's scale. "Probably the symbol of this man's god or cult" Stephen pointed out, he looked tierd and bruised. " Maybe we should get some sleep ok?" Stephen suggested as if he was already asleep as he said that. " Sure we have a long road for tommorow." Nara agreed, with that the group went to sleep until morrning, for the past few days this was the first night for Stephen with no nightmares or visions of his own's or others deaths he slpet well. * * *  
  
Uninvited but wellcomed by all mornning came to the forest and the three awoke to the pleasant singing of birds, the mists were lifted from the forest now and the sun got through the crowded tree tops. As Stephen and Domo got up they saw that not only that Nara was already awake she was dressd and ready to move, though she had something in her mouth. " Cool! What are we eating?!" Domo asked seeing his companion eat. " We are eating nothing. I am eating an cooked egg that I made for myself." Nara spoke with anger as she glared at the rouge, he guessed she wasn't a mornning person. " Did you just assume I'll prepare food for every body? I take care of myself I don't owe you anything!" The sorrceress continued to scold the rouge, he wasn't listening to a word she said, he was busy getting dressed and ready to move. " We have a long day ahead, don't start a fight so early in the day. We'll get something to eat later Domo, alright?" Stephen spoke seeing Nara's face turning red. The three of them walked for hours through the forest without saying a word, as the day continued the forest grew darker and the mists retured as a pale curtain over the woods, the singing of the birds was replaced by the howling of beasts and the flapping of wings. " I'm tired!! Can we stop to rest for a while?" Domo's crys could be heard throughout the forest and it was piercing through Stephen's head for the past half hour. " All right!!" Stephen Yelled out at his friend as he thought the final thread of his sanity was about to give way. " You can rest when we get to that pond over there." Naa suggested and pointed at a small stream that ended with a pond about twenty feet away from them. When they reached the pond Domo collapsed next to it and began to drink from it. The water were cool and sweet, They all drank from it with much thirst. Filling their practicly empty water supply they rested. As the day passed so did their feet pass the miles of land and quickly they have reached a half day walking distance from the guild which they searched, at least according to what Nara said. The day turned to night and all grew dark, they were still in the dark forest though not far from its end, and now in the nights air emphasized by the shapes of the trees the three saw a light as if a magical flame burned ahead, Nara seemed amazed by the light and insisted to explore it. As the party neared the light the sound of singing was heared in the forest, the voice was deep and rough, and it sang merrily: For long I worked For long I went And now my back is bent!! Now I rest So do your best For now I tire And I'm no liar!! On it sang and as they approched the source of light they saw a dwarf getting ready to sleep by a light of magical nature he seemed tired and in his song came many threats to thise who might disturb his sleep, Though Domo took no heed to them and ran towards the singing dwarf. 


End file.
